Any surgery, such as implant surgery and in particular spinal implant surgery, requires intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the patient, which anatomy can often be quite distorted through degeneration, deformity, neoplasia or trauma. Also required is an ability to navigate safely around that anatomy surgically and an excellent knowledge of the capability and features of the implants designed to help the patient.
While experience can allow a surgeon or surgical team to perform procedures without the assistance of aids, this experience can take some time to accumulate. In less experienced hands, as well as for more complex cases with grossly distorted anatomy, a number of systems have been devised to help make the surgery more reliable and safe. An example of one such system relies on linking infrared navigation systems with pre-operative or intra-operative computed tomography (CT) scans on the patient. Such systems while very helpful can be of limited assistance once surgery has commenced.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.